Campfire Fluff
by PhantomWriter44
Summary: After the tragic loss of her family, Elissa Cousland masks her pain behind reassuring smiles. Leliana, the reluctantly accepted chantry sister, has developed a crush on Tabris, the emerald eyed, smooth talking warden. Yet, Tabris and Alistair are too caught up in their budding romance to notice anything out of the ordinary. [Short fic, loaded with fluff moments between characters]
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: _Dragon Age_ belongs to Bioware. I am solely writing for fun.**

 **Author:** So I sat down ready to do my summer homework and ended up writing this, lol, woops.

 **Enjoy!**

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 **Leliana's Pov**

I watched Tabris and Alistair banter over the campfire. Tabris was usually solemn and I could see the pain and hurt in her eyes. Alistair was the clown of the group with terrible jokes, which still managed to cure Tabris's gloomy mood. Morrigan was holed up in her tent at the edge of the camp. My eyes finally settled on the third warden. She was quiet and like Alistair she allowed Tabris to lead, but unlike him she would argue and chime in her opinion more frequently. She was currently leaning against a tree with a blanket draped over her shoulder, making her seem smaller, nearly invisible. She held an inscrutable, blank expression voice of emotion. She turned towards me and gave me a bright, silly smile, baring her white teeth.

"May I? I asked the third warden.

"Help yourself," she replied, still baring her bright smile.

"I didn't quite catch your name," I told her. She never introduced herself. She barely spoke back in Lothering, but she did convince the others into accepting me into their merry band.

"Elissa," she hesitated as if she was going to say more, but stopped.

"Are you okay?" I asked her kindly. Despite her reassuring smiles, I felt as if she was hiding behind it.

"I don't believe any of us are alright, not with the civil war brewing and darkspawns roaming," she said truthfully, looking into the distance as if she was scanning for threats. "How are you holding up?" she asked back.

"I'm fine," I automatically replied. She nodded, accepting the answer as it was. We fell into a calm silence. I envied Alistair and Tabris's cheerful banter as I stared across the camp. Those two were already very close and it felt awkward to disturb their jolly circle. Elissa didn't seem to care for their banter. It was as if her head was in the clouds. I excused myself and left for my tent.

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 **Author:** I'm purposely keeping these chapters short to signify change in time. I've finished the entire story, but its unedited, so over the course of the next five days I'll be posting two chapters. (Yep, there's ten chapters total, I believe.) Not to torture you guys, my dear readers, but I don't want to release unedited writing.

 **Feel free to review and PM me! Love to get feedback, even negative ones. Yeah, I like attention :P**


	2. Chapter 2

**Leliana's Pov**

I woke up a little later to take over my watch shift. I had expected Elissa to wake me, but she didn't, so I assumed that she fell asleep on watch duty. A dangerous and careless thing to do. I flipped open my tent flap and stepped through into the chilling night air. I searched around for Elissa, but couldn't find her. I momentarily panicked until I spotted a white fox sitting atop Elissa's blanket in the same spot she had been at earlier. The fox looked like a statue, but every once in a while its ears would twitch to the howling wind. I cautiously approached it and it stared back at me with intelligent eyes as if it knew me.

"Elissa?" I asked it. I felt stupid a second later for assuming the little fox was Elissa. She was a duelist not a mage. But the fox nodded back as if to say yes. "You're a shapeshifter? Yip to say yes," I told the little fox. It bobbled its head in a circular motion and rolled its eyes. But it then let out a small yelp. I cautiously approached it, wondering if I was hallucinating this strange encounter. I sat down next to it, leaning against the giant tree. The fox barely took up any space. We sat in silence just like earlier. I kept turning my gaze back to the tiny white fox. It was no longer sitting like an upright statue, instead it was curled up in its giant blanket with its tiny head peaking out. I had an urge to pet it, but since it it was probably Elissa, I held back the urge. After a few more minutes of silence, I gave up and gently stroke its cute, white head. Its ears twitch and it looked up at me with its adorable brown eyes. It had the softest fur I had ever felt; it was smooth and fluffy. The fox gently nudged its head against my hand as if urging me to continue.

After a while, I picked up the fluffy, little fox and settled her on my lap, covering her with the blanket. She was startled at first with her hackles slightly raised, but then she curled up against me and fell asleep. She was like a fluffy, soft, hot potato keeping the cold night air at bay. I continued petting the little fox as I took watch.

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 **Author:** Yeah, I forgot to mention Elissa is also a shapeshifter :P

 **As always, read and review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author:** It hasn't been 24 hours yet, but I'll pretend I uploaded before 12am yesterday. So here's another 2 chapters for you guys! Also, a great big **Thanks** to my first follower :D

 **Enjoy!**

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 **Leliana's Pov**

When I woke, the sun was just rising. The fox was gone, no longer snoozing in my lap. A few layers of blankets were carefully draped over me, and for the first time in a long time I felt safe.

Elissa was by the fireplace, tending to the cooking cauldron by stirring it slowly. She hadn't noticed me yet, so I took this chance to observe her. She had a delicate touch whenever she handled the ladle. Her light brown hair was tied back towards the left side of her shoulder. She stared into the pot with a lot of concentration, a bit too much. She looked as if she was deep in thought.

"Morning!" Elissa greeted cheerfully. She had her usual bright, friendly smile. She set two bowl down and scooped the soup in. Then she moved the cauldron away from the flame.

"Good morning, Elissa!" I greeted back as I accepted the warm soup. She had placed a thin cloth under it. It was a thoughtful gesture.

"Careful, it's still hot," she warned as she blew on her soup.

"Thank you," I said as I stared at her. Her attention was already occupied on her own soup. I blew on mine and took a careful sip. It had a warm silky texture. I tasted egg, bits of jerky, and corn in it. It was a perfect mix of salty and sweet. I looked up to see her staring intently at me.

"Elissa! You never mentioned that you could cook!" Tabris yelled across the camp.

"Mmmh… this is sooo much better than my soup!" Alistair commented. The understatement of the Dragon Age. Elissa beamed brightly at them, her eyes sparkling. Even Morrigan seemed to enjoy it.

"This is so good! Where did you learn how to cook?" I asked. She brightened at the compliment, but then her expression darkened.

"I helped out in the castle kitchen. I learned a few things," she said with a smile. Her former frown had vanished. I couldn't help but notice how vague her response was. She was definitely hiding something, but what? I wanted to learn more, but questions unsettled her and I had no wish to dampen the bright morning.

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 **Pretty Please Review! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Leliana's Pov**

"So how does someone like you end up in the chantry?" Tabris asked as we walked towards Redcliffe village.

"What is meant by 'someone like me'?" I asked suspiciously.

"Someone as beautiful and dangerous as you," Tabris responded without faltering. She had a silver tongue, something that many who grew up in the streets eventually learned. Tabris had straight, long black hair tied up in a pony tail. Her skin was well tanned compared to Elissa's pale skin. Her tanned skin, dark hair, and sharp elven features gave her a seductive and alluring air.

"And you believe there weren't any pretty cloistered sisters in the chantry? You would be very wrong," I responded. I had successfully diverted the conversation to the awkward topic of "forbidden fruit". I saw Alistair blush bright red like a tomato when he caught wind of the conversation.

"And what of your forbidden fruit?" Tabris asked with a seductive tease in her voice. Her eyes were so intense when she spoke that I couldn't help but stutter like and ill-educated peasant. Alistair sniggered at my expense. I searched around for a quick way out of this awkward predicament. Elissa and Sten were walking ahead of the group, so I decided to catch up with them.

"Hey!" I said, alerting the quiet group of my presence.

"Hello," Elissa greeted back with her usual smile. She pointed to the foggy distance. "There's Redcliffe Castle," she noted with a reminiscent expression.

"Where are you from?" I asked, trying to fill the silence with conversation.

"Highever," she replied.

"How is it there?" I asked.

"Fair weather. Nice plains and mountains," she responded nonchalantly. Her short responses were like a defensive stone wall. But what was she trying to hide?

"How is your family fairing?" I asked. She immediately went quiet. Her smile vanished. It was clear that this was the source of her unhappiness.

"You know, you never answered Tabris's question," she said testily, then sighed as if trying to contain her emotions. "I don't want to talk about my family," she stated blatantly. She closed her eyes and heaved out a heavy breathe. The rest of the journey was silent as she sped up her pace ending the conversation.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author:** Super sorry for posting quite late today! I stayed up all last night playing Telltale's Game of Thrones. Also, I hope that people are reading this because I'm getting 0 traffic stats, yet I got 1 follower. Probably just a Fanfic site glitch. Still sad though...

 **Enjoy!**

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 **Leliana's Pov**

"Teagan!" Elissa cried out as she ran up and hugged the nobleman, nearly toppling him.

"Elissa Cousland, my you've grown into a lovely young lady!" Teagan responded.

"You flatter me," Elissa responded.

"How is Fergus? How's your family fairing?" Teagan asked.

"You haven't heard?" Elissa asked with a down casted expression.

"No, we haven't received much new here in weeks," Teagan responded with concern.

"My family is.. gone," Elissa stated with clenched fists. "Rendon Howe betrayed and murdered them." She gritted her teeth and continue to clench and unclenched her fists, until smoke rose from it.

"Elissa, I'm sorry to hear. Once this blight is over, we will see to it that justice is served," Teagan reassured her.

"I will make him pay ten thousand times over," Elissa swore. Her friendly brown eyes had darkened to black, with her jaws tight. A menacing cold aura emitted from her, startling the entire party, even Morrigan looked unsettled.

"Elissa, you're scaring us," I whispered to her as I placed a light hand on her shoulder. She flinched slightly.

"Sorry," she muttered. She excused herself and stalked towards the exit. I chased after her, but she was gone.


	6. Chapter 6

**Leliana's Pov**

"Did you know she's a mage?" Alistair asked the party.

"You're asking us when you've known her the longest?" Morrigan retorted with disgust.

"She's also a Cousland," I added in, ignoring Morrigan's snippy comment.

"I've heard that name before," Alistair commented.

"Even I've heard about them, Alistair. The Couslands are one the the more respectable houses in Ferelden," Tabris said dryly. It was already well known that Tabris disliked the nobility.

"'Tis a shame then," Morrigan commented.

"We should search for her," I advised.

"I doubt she wishes to be found," Morrigan said.

"That's just cold. But umm… perhaps we should give her some time alone," Alistair said. Morrigan raised a brow.

"We still have a town to fortify before sundown," Tabris noted with command.

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 **Author:** Well, these two chapter snippets were the shortest of them all. Hmm... I'll make you readers a deal... hehehe... I'll post the next two chapters at 12am tonight, but here's the good part, if anyone reviews before then I'll directly post the next two chapters when I see it. Deal?


	7. Chapter 7

**Enjoy!**

 **Leliana's Pov**

I kept my eye out for Elissa as we traversed Redcliffe village.

"She's up by the windmill," Morrigan said.

"Oh," I replied, startled by her comment.

"Your worrying was starting to irritate me," Morrigan responded coldly.

"Thank you, Morrigan," I said. She looked thoroughly uncomfortable. I left the party to search for Elissa.

Just as Morrigan had said, Elissa was sitting alone by a giant tree besides the windmill, overlooking the village. I cleared my throat. "Mind if I join you?" I asked.

"Help yourself," Elissa mumbled as she quickly wiped away her tears.

"How are you holding up?" I asked.

"Sorry for running off," she said quietly.

"You don't need to apologize for being sad, Elissa," I chided her.

"Couslands do their duty. They never shy from it. I shouldn't have ran," she argued back. It was as if she was a child reminding herself to be good.

"That's nothing to be ashamed of," I replied, trying to comfort her. "You should rejoin us, there's still much to do before sunset." She slowly got up, but more tears streaked down her pale face. She cast her eyes down, attempting to hide her tears. It was painful to watch and I realized how much I missed her bright, reassuring smile. I pulled her into a tight hug, trying to comfort her and myself. After a few seconds, she returned the hug. After a while, perhaps a bit too long to be considered friendly, I broke off the hug, but held her close. Her eyes were puffy red from all the tears, but her irises were the most calming brown. I wiped off a trailing teardrop with my hand and beamed my most reassuring smile at her. She immediately blushed bright red. "You're very pretty when you blush, " I couldn't help but comment. Her cheeks turned even redder.

"I… er.. thank you," she said as she looked away. I broke off our embrace.

"Perhaps we should rejoin the others," I said.

"One second." She motioned for me to turn around. When I turned back, the little white fox was sitting in her spot.

"You, what, where does everything even go?" I asked bewildered. The small fox shrugged and started trotting in the direction of the church and I followed behind only to realize how much faster my strides were. She was running to keep up with me. Although she wasn't panting, I felt bad for the the little fox, and so I gently picked her up and held the adorable, fluffy, white fox close to my chest, scared to drop her. She squirmed a bit before she finally settled her head against the crook of my neck. "You're not even a full grown fox," I noted as I walked back to the church.

"Leliana, why are you carrying a fox?" Alistair questioned.

"Ugh, we already have a mangy mutt, make that two," Morrigan commented.

"Ouch," Alistair responded as the mabari winnied.

"We don't need yet another charity case," Morrigan complained as she inspected the fox.

"Can I pet 'im," Alistair cooed. Tabris was already petting the fox's head.

"Wow, she's so soft. We can keep her right?" Tabris squeaked in delight.

"You already have that mangy dog," Morrigan stated.

"What? Do you want her? But I think she's Leliana's already," Tabris said. I blushed at the thought of Elissa being mine. Though it wasn't a frightening thought nor an unwelcome one. The fox squirmed free and landed on the ground gracefully.

"That's…" before Morrigan could finish the fox transformed back into her natural form, "Elissa."

"Woah, neat trick," Tabris commented in awe.

"You really are a mage," Alistair stated hostily. Elissa tilted her head to the side as if she was analyzing his reaction.

"I am. Do we have a problem here?" she asked with noble authority, a tone she never used before. It gave her the air of leadership.

"No. I'm sorry. Just don't turn me into a toad or anything," Alistair attempted to joke.

"No worries, so long as you don't smite me, templar," she joked back seriously.

"Ahem, ex-templar. Sorry, it's just that mages still make me uneasy," Alistair excused.

"Me too," Elissa hummed back.

"Really?" Alistair asked.

"No. We're all dangerous here, aren't we? But I have to say, templars are a bit more frightening," Elissa admitted in a jovial manner. This defiant and cocky side of Elissa gave her a more alluring aura.


	8. Chapter 8

**Leliana's Pov**

Tabris had the most enchanting green eyes. That was the first thing I noticed when she helped me off the ground. She had gutted the bandit that broke through their defenses and shield bashed me to the ground.

"How's your arm fairing?" she asked.

"I can still shoot," I replied, hoping not to worry her too much. It was definitely bruised and battered, and it would most likely remain for many days to come.

"Good, I wouldn't want our dear bard to be injured," she flirted casually. She quickly rejoined Alistair, finishing off the last bandit. The group gathered together to access the damage. Elissa was splattered in blood. It was a horrific sight, all that blood dripping down her.

"What the hell happened?" Tabris shouted.

"A group of them flanked us, I couldn't convince them to stand down. They.. They attacked me at once and I killed them," Elissa recounted slowly, "I found this on one of the bodies." She handed me the note. "They're not bandits, but mercenaries after you," she informed me. She excused herself and walked off with a tired stride.

"Why are they after you, Leliana?" Tabris asked suspiciously. I handed her the note.

"Marjolaine," I uttered.

"She's still after you?" Tabris asked.

"Yes," I responded.

"It says she's in Denerim," Tabris said.

"It's a trap," I informed her.

"Denerim is probably going to be our last stop," Tabris commented, "Though we can go after her now if we sneak in."

"That's not necessary. She doesn't squander her resources unnecessarily. Stopping the blight should remain as the priority," I told her. The group gradually broke off, but Tabris stuck by.

"If you ever want to talk about it, I'm all ears," she said kindly. I had a sinking feeling. I never told them the complete truth about my former life. I told Elissa much of the story whenever I ended up rambling to her, but she barely reacted to it. I assumed that she had dozed off in her fox form.

"Thanks," I responded and Tabris left.

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 **Author:** Tomorrow, this story comes to a close. Yep, just two more short snippets.

 **As always, read and review even if you're reading this a thousand years later, my ghost will still see it ;)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author:** Last two chapters, Enjoy!

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 **Leliana's Pov**

I watched from the shade as Elissa stared into the lake. She didn't have her usual bright smile that she wore whenever she was around others. She was frowning; her eyes dull and sad. She was still hurting on the inside, but she hid it well around us that none of us bothered to ask her about it. She easily went unnoticed among the other two wardens. Tabris and Alistair were far more outspoken and lively.

"Mind if I join you?" I asked her.

"Not at all," she replied with a small, sad smile. Even if it was a lie, I still kneeled next to her as she washed her armor.

"You seem distracted," I told her.

"Oh," she replied in a small voice as she took off her bloodied shirt and then stared at me with an embarrassed blush. "You don't mind right?" she asked right before she pulled her shirt off completely.

"Not at all, we're both ladies here," I reassured her. I couldn't help but notice how beautiful the girl's body was. She was still decent with her delicates on, but I could easily see her beautifully sculpted muscles. Thankfully, she didn't seem to notice my eyes wandering. The former bard in me would've tried to seduce her for a single night of pleasure, but the chantry teachings held me back. I also doubted that she would reciprocate the advances.

"Your arm is badly bruised," she told me. Her brown eyes were full of concern. "Let me heal it, please," she asked with an urgent yet gentle tone. I allowed her to gently grip my arm. Her touch was delicate. It was soothing. With magic, she scooped a blob of glistening water from the pond and massaged it on my arm. It felt nice and cool, easing the pain away. After a few minutes, my arm felt exponentially better.

"It should heal faster on its own now," she informed me.

"Where did you learn this type of magic?" I asked. I had never seen this type of magic performed.

"The spirits show me," she whispered.

"Spirits?" I asked.

"In the fade. They taught me all the magic I know," she replied. "They're good spirits that only want to help. But they can easily be transformed into demons with strong, negative feelings," she added in quickly as if she was afraid I would disapprove. We spent the rest of the evening relaxing by the pond and forgetting about the darkspawns for a short while. I was fearful of flirting too much with her lest I destroy our delicate friendship.


	10. Chapter 10

**Leliana's Pov**

I sat by Elissa, leaning my head on her shoulder comfortably. I was watching Tabris and Alistair flirt with one another. They kissed and Tabris dragged Alistair into her tent. I turned away.

"Why the long face?" Elissa asked with a frown. I barely knew how to respond. She appeared immune to romance. Would she even understand? "I know something that would cheer you up!" She immediately got up and offered me her hand. It was already dark with the moon high up in the sky. She led me into the forest and casted a glowing, bright orb of light to lead us. "It has to be around here," she said with a mischief smile. "Close your eyes." She led me through the trees. "You can open your eyes now."

I nervously opened my eyes. I was surrounded by beautiful white flowers. It was the most enchanting sight. The area was brightened by fireflies and more floating, glowing orbs. The moon was still high up in the sky further illuminating the scenery.

"I was going to show you in the morning, but…"

"It's beautiful!" I interrupted.

"I'm glad you like it," she whispered with a radiant smile. "Here look closely at it!" She plucked one of the biggest flowers and held it up to me. I automatically smelled it. Andraste's Grace.

"You remembered," I whispered back.

"If you press it between a book, then you can preserve its scent," she told me, "But since I'm a mage…" her fingers glowed as she touched the beautiful flower, sending sparkles everywhere. "I can always enchant it," she said with the smile I had grown so fond of.

"Thank you so much!" I said as I pulled her into a tight, comfortable embrace. I didn't ever want to let her go. She held me back gently. I lightened our embrace and stared up into her kind, hazel eyes. "You have the most beautiful eyes," I complimented.

"Thanks," she replied nervously, but I could tell she was blushing.

"I feel comfortable around you. You are a very dear friend to me, but…" I hesitated, unsure whether I should continue, yet her eyes were non judgemental. "but sometimes I wonder if maybe we can be more than that?" She was speechless. There was sadness in her eyes when she spoke.

"I am a Grey Warden," she sighed, "We don't live long and fulfilling lives." She emphasized the 'long'. I was offended that she chose to hide behind that excuse, and I broke off our embrace entirely. I could see hurt and confliction in her eyes.

"We live in uncertain times, none of us might survive this blight, but it doesn't mean we should close off our hearts!" I snapped back.

"Most of us will make it out of this blight. You will make it out. That I promise," she stated with conviction. She looked down with confliction. "Grey Wardens are tainted by darkspawn blood. We don't live very long outside of the blight. Thirty years give or take. When I was a child, I greatly desired to join the wardens. Freedom, I desired freedom the most, being a mage. I spent days in my family's library, researching the wardens. I came across a journal; an old Cousland journal. He was a warden, one of the younger brothers of the teryn. He warned the readers about the dangers of being a warden. He regretted joining the order in a time of peace. I never wanted to be a warden," she confessed, "We… I shouldn't fall in love when all I can promise is an uncertain and short future." A single teardrop slid down her face and she turned away to wipe it. I gently tilted her sad face up.

"And what if I'm already in love?" I asked her. Her confession gave me courage.

"Then I am so sorry," she whispered. I couldn't take the suspense of not knowing any longer, so I closed our short distance and pressed my lips gently to hers. She returned the kiss by pulling me closer to her.

"I love you," she confessed quietly once I broke off the kiss. I was about to kiss her again when she held back. "But please promise me one thing," I looked deeply into her brown eyes, "Promise me that you'll move on if I ever fall early. I'd hate to be the cause of any frown on your gorgeous face."

"And if I refuse?" I teased while brushing a stray strand of hair from her beautiful face.

"Then I'd never be able to rest until there's a beautiful, genuine smile on your face." I moved in to catch her soft lips on my own again. It felt so right. I wanted to cherish this moment forever. I pulled her closer to deepen the kiss. Her hair was soft and smooth. She smelled faintly of roses. We were both panting when we finally broke off our second kiss. She smiled an adorable smile. I wanted to take her there. It had been ages since I had intimate contact.

"Perhaps we should head back to the camp," she said in her innocent voice. She took hold of my hand and led me back through the woods. Morrigan gave me a strange look, but didn't question us. "Sleep well," Elissa whispered as she headed for her tent, but I grabbed her before she got further away.

"Stay with me," I said like an ill-educated peasant. She gave me a nervous, inquisitive look. "Sleep in my tent," I ordered her. She nodded hesitantly. I helped her out of her armor. I would occasionally brush against her soft unblemished skin, trying to catch her reaction. She only grinned nervously back at me. I pulled her onto our matt. I desired her touch, but I settled with holding her and snuggling my head against her.

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Author: Happily ever after... I hope you guys enjoyed this short fic!


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